Hi all,
I have a RR car ferry and a tug boat. I would like to install sound decoders in them. No operation (maybe lights [:D] ). Anyone have a source? Do they exist?
I would think most boats of this type used diesels made by EMD or Fairbanks Morse. The ferry I rode last summer from Algiers LA to New Orleans sounded much like an opposed piston or Cat diesel. You could use a Soundtraxx or Loksound decoder in a static set up like several guy’s on here have done to get undertable sound. If you search for “under layout sound decoder” some links will show up from this forum.
SB
Thanks SB I’ll try that
I was thinking the same thing. The fact that you’ll have more room in the boats for speaker(s) would likely alter the character of the sound enough that you won’t have to worry about sounding like a floating SD40.
I’d also consider using one of the older/cheaper decoders since they will tend to sound more generic than the current stuff. That may even present the opportunity for an upgrade if you replace an older unit in one of your favorite locomotives and recycle the original decoder for a boat.
Sob if l look for an ALCO Diesel decoder that all can control lights that should work?
Typically decoders control headlights and ditch lights I assume it doesn’t matter as long as I don’t go more than 4 LED’s?
I occasionally spend time on the Columbia River watching trains. Towboats pass by. My recollection is of a sound like a non-turbo EMD. I’d consider getting a “GP38-2” sound.
I did a quick on-line search. One article said 2-strokes are “preferred” in tugboats. Which the EMD is.
Ed
Would you need water sounds?
I also have a carfloat terminal. One of the engines used to service it is an 0-6-0T tank engine. I bought an old Digitrax Soundbug decoder and replaced the sound files on the decoder with one of their “sound projects” for a tank engine. The engine doesn’t have room for a sound decoder and speaker, but the carfloat terminal area is very small, so I put that decoder and speaker in a building. It works well enough for me.
I never got around to it, but I was going to add some seaport ambient sounds like lapping water and seagulls and a big boat whistle.
One sound decoder’s source of a Winton engine for an FT was actually a tugboat, so it is not out of the realm of possibilities to use just about any - EMD, Alco, and FM all made marine versions as well as rail engines, in FM’s case they STARTED as marine engines and later adapted to railroad use.
The only ptoblem is the rest of the drive - many more modern tugs are diesel-electric, but the older ones tended to be mechanical drives. The closest thing to tat ona railroad would be the Alco hydraulic drive locos. Most of the diesel-mechanical locos are smaller ones like 44 tonners and other small critters, and those have much smalelr prime movers than would be found on a big car ferry, small Detroits, or Cat or Cummins.
You can get pretty close - for effect it may be good enough, only the most knowledgeable would be able to pick out that the sound is not quite right, especially if you jsut throttle up from idle and hold a speed.
–Randy
Or, why not get a CD of harbor sounds?
http://www.greenfrog.com/bgaudcd_56015.shtml
I use the Steel Mill sounds and I copied the sound files to a cheap MP3 player and run that through amplified computer speakers, also cheap. I use shuffle and loop and it plays all day without any intervention on my part.
Sometimes Green Frog has these CDs on ebay for cheap.
[edit] Yep, checked… they do.
I keep busy enough running trains without having to use my throttle to select and run a tug or ferry boat or blow the whistle every now-and-then.
For lights I would look at one of RR-MEL’s arduino random light setups.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/t/259011.aspx
Good Luck, Ed
Thanks for all the replies. It does not move. Just want lights and engine sound.
You can add way more than four LEDs without overloading the decoder, particularly if you use higher value resistors. Something like 10,000 ohms will still leave the LEDs pretty bright but they will draw very little power. That will allow you to add cabin lights and gangway lights as well as the normal navigation lights.
I would suggest wiring the LEDs in parallel instead of in series, and use one resistor per LED. Two or three LEDs can be run off of the same resistor but the brightness of each LED might not be the same.
Dave
Good information as usual on this forum.
My era is 1950 - 1965 so the older Tug may be correct. I can look for EMD 44 ton decoders and install 2? As if the tug had two motors.
Good to hear I can add more lights. When I actually get to the wiring I’ll likely post some pics and diagrams to see what you guys think.
This is the Walthers HO Tug.
So far I looked at three decoders recommended on a couple forums.
Digitrax DH126D Great price $17 but does not appear to have sound
LokSound with an EMD 44 ton Switcher sound (sounds perfect but $86 without the speaker
SoundTraxx SoundCar $48 (I can get an ALCO RS1) $50
Gary,
My tug started out as a Walthers tug…a lot of mods later…including interior, cut down stack, pilot house, different davits for the lifeboat and a lot more. The pilot house, stack/cabin can be removed with one screw down the stack…lot of room in there for any decoder including speaker if You choose. The winch and many other parts do not come in the kit…scavanged from other ships I used to built yrs. ago. I have since added some deck lights after pic was taken, with what is called Pico SMD chips from Lights4models…they are about the size of a pin head…they will fit anywhere. Eventually the model will go into My river scene on the layout. A work still in progress. The dual stripe on the stack is Not a decal…that is painted on.
The images are clickable to enlarge.
Good Luck in Your project! [:D]
Frank
EDIT: A clickable link for the lights I used and much, much more…browse thru…You may find some other things You could use on Your project:
Gary,
Here are some RR Tugs in video’s at work with barges/ferry’s loading/unloading for info purposes…check out the one’s also on the right side:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVwPoANEqgU
Nice to have a big screen to view…
Take Care! [:D]
Frank
If you are going to use a motor decoder of any kind, you will need a resistor in place of the motor outputs in order to program it. As I recall, it’s a low resistance, on the order of 50-100 ohms. Remove the resistor and tape up the leads once it’s programmed.
The barge, incidentally, would not have a motor.
This is the carfloat apron on my layout.
I built mine so that the carfloat itself is removeable, so that it can be used as a casette. I put a couple of small bulbs inside the superstructure at the top. The turnout points on the apron bridge are powered by a Tortoise from below.
There are no tides in my train room, so the apron bridge is fixed and does not move up and down. I took great pains to make the whole scene, from the ground in the back, across the apron and on to the carfloat, completely flat so I could pull a whole string of 6 cars plus the 3 “idler” flats with one small tank engine. I used real metal rails and made sure I had all metal wheels to keep friction to a minimum as well.
THANKS MR Beasley!! Did not know that. I was just going to hook up to the track bus. Guess I would have FRIED the decoder.
Just so I’m clear off the DCC bus I take a track lead from one track add a 100 ohm resistor and a track lead from the other add a 100 ohm resistor and then connect to the decoder where the grey and orange wires go?
Why do you remove the resistors after programming?
I recall the Destroyer I served on in the early 1960’s was powered by Fairbanks Morse diesels. What I found interesting were the engines were direct drive. No reverse gear. Stop, start the engine in the other direction to reverse the ship.
The engines were used in subs also. Reason why subs were so smelly inside. I could easily recognize sub sailors in a bar.
Rich
Found this a few years ago to leave the resistor in. No idea about different brand of decoders.
Using a Tsunami as a sound-only decoder
Many folks decide to use these fine sound decoders for their sound generating capabilities and, perhaps, lighting effects. Here are some suggestions:
- Motor - If you put a 100 ohm 1/2 watt resistor between the gray and orange motor wires or contacts, you can then get acknowledgments back when you program.
- If you set the Tsunami for Speed Table operation with the USER SPEED TABLE selected and set all speed steps to zero, then you won’t be using your DCC power to heat up the resistor when you are running! To do this, read CV 29 and add 16 to that value and write the result back into CV 29. Then set CV25 = 16 and set all the CVs from CV 68 through CV 94 to zero.